by Vicki Green
“Mom. I believe you and I know you’ve had your reasons for staying with him. I’m sorry. I now know what it’s like to be on your own for the first time but I can’t imagine after all the time you’ve been with him that you’ve left. You know I’m here for you.” She’s squatting in front of her and they both suddenly grab each other and cry together. I can’t even begin to fathom being in such a dysfunctional family. We all have our moments but living day to day for your whole life that way, in a place with no love, no regard or respect for the other, is unimaginable to me. It makes me have that much more respect for Taren, turning out the way she has. So loving, caring, respectful, and a beautiful heart. It also actually makes me feel so grateful to Ma and Pop. They’ve always been there for Kane and me. Supported us even when they didn’t agree with our decisions. Loved us unconditionally. Suddenly, I’m feeling all emotional too.
We end up eating while Taren and her mom talk for a bit. The silence at the table is excruciatingly tense and awkward. I’ve always hated that there’s been stress in our family ever since the accident and really even before that since our parents have always had a dislike for each other but Taren is my life, my entire existence and if Pop doesn’t ever get that, be happy for us, then there will always be that strife between us. I love him but I need Taren to live, to breathe. Without her my life is meaningless.
Taren walks into the kitchen, hesitantly, looking at Pop then down at me. “Mom’s freshening up. Can I talk to you for a minute, please?” I nod as I stand and we walk to our bedroom, shutting the door behind us.
“Everything okay?” I ask before she has a chance to open her sweet mouth.
“Yes and no. I mean…. We’re ok but do you think…. Ugh, this is harder than I thought.” She looks down, wringing her hands so I know she’s nervous. She always does that.
I grab her hands, holding them tight. She looks up at me, worry in her eyes. “Baby. You can ask me anything.” I move my hand to her face, tucking some of her long soft hair behind her, and leave my hand there hoping to reassure her. “I don’t ever want you to feel like you can’t talk to me.”
A small smile lifts and she releases a breath. “I know we’ve only started our lives together but would you mind if she stay….”
“No problem,” I interrupt, knowing what she’s gonna ask.
“Really? You don’t mind if she stays here for a couple of days in the spare room until I can help her find a place of her own?” She bounces, her smile widening.
I laugh. “No, I don’t mind. I’ll be at work most of the time anyway. She would be great company for you and I know you want to help her.” I take a step closer and cover her mouth with mine. Her hand slides up my chest and around my neck, her fingers moving into my hair. She jumps slightly when the toilet flushes in the other bathroom. Okay, that may be a problem. No making love for two days? I know she’ll be too uncomfortable with her mom here. A thought hits me. “Hey, you know what? There’s an apartment for rent two buildings over from here. Would be close for you both and she might feel more comfortable being out on her own.” Her brows raise, and her eyes light up.
She turns, grabbing my hand and pulling. “That’s awesome! Come on! Let’s go tell her.”
I try to keep my laughter in as I let her lead me out into the living room where everyone has now gathered. Her mom got a plate of food and they’re all sitting around talking. “Mom! Brock said there’s an apartment just two buildings over for rent! Wouldn’t it be cool to be so close?” Her mom looks at me and smiles then back at Taren.
“Oh, my! That would be lovely. Maybe we can go see it tomorrow?” Taren nods excitedly and everything is right with the world again. Well, almost.
“Uh, son?” My head snaps to Pop. “Can we go outside and talk?” My eyebrows raise, and Taren squeezes my hand. “Please?” I nod slowly, and he stands. Taren whips around, kissing me hard, telling me in her own way to be strong. He walks to the front door, opening it and waiting for me to join him. I kiss Taren once again and walk out into the hall of the building. I watch him close the door then walk to the front door, sitting down outside on the first paved step, so I follow and sit down beside him, his eyes looking at the ground below him. “Ya know. It’s hard being a parent. Kids look up to ya and put you up on some kinda pedestal. But….” His eyes shift my way and then back down to the ground. “Ya know. We’re only human too and can make mistakes just like anyone else.” My brows lower at his words then he turns to me, looking straight into my eyes. “We’ve always been close and there’s been such tenseness on us lately, ever since…. Well, you know. Always liked Taren. She’s a good girl. Can’t help where she comes from or who. Glad you’re together now. You need me or my help, you ask. Ya hear?”
I smile in relief. We’ve always been close knit and the tension has really bothered me. Most important people in my life, my family and my girl. How could you ever decide between them? I clap my hand on his upper back, my smile can’t be any bigger. “Thanks, Pop. I’m glad to hear you say that. How ‘bout tomorrow night off so I can take my girl on a date?”
He lowers his head and laughs then looks back at me, smiling. “Don’t push it, son.”
And that’s how my family rocks. Tight.
Chapter Nine
Taren
I watch the front door holding my breath. God, I hope his dad finally sees that I’m not the enemy and makes Brock’s life easier. I know Brock’s been really upset ever since his dad put more awkward and uneasiness on the situation. They’ve always been so close and up until the accident, Pop’s always liked me, welcomed me into the family, so to speak. Then he changed, which made it so much harder on us. It’s bad enough my dad has been horrible all my life, so I always kinda felt like Pop was kind of a dad to me too. Feeling unloved by both really weighed heavily on me, but I was more concerned about Brock.
The door opens, and I jump in my seat. My hands have been digging into the arm rest of the worn chair. From the corner of my eye, I see Mom and Mrs. Evans looking at the door too. Brock and Pop walk in, arm in arm, laughing. I release the breath I’d been holding in one big whoosh. I watch Brock walk into the kitchen and hear Pop clear his throat, my eyes snapping back to him. He opens his arms. “Come here, girl.” I stand on shaky legs and walk over to him. He wraps his arms around me as I step into him, putting mine around his back. “I’m sorry we’ve been strained. Forgive me?” I only nod my head, pushing the fabric of his shirt up and down with my movements. “Good.” I look up at him, feeling the wetness in my eyes. He rubs away a tear with his thumb, smiling down at me. He looks around the room and then over at Brock. “Now, where’s that beer?”
We all sit around the living room, talking, laughing with Pop and Mrs. Evans telling childhood stories of us. Mom was fascinated by them, not knowing everything we did together growing up. How inseparable we were. Still are. She kept laughing with us and saying that she had no idea after a lot that was being said. I think she’s finally realized we will never be apart.
His parents finally left around nine then Brock went out to Mom’s car and got her things. I help her get settled in the spare room then we kiss and hug goodnight. I guess getting her that apartment in the morning, more shopping and decorating are at hand. I’m actually relieved that if she gets that place she’ll be so close. I can tell she’s a little apprehensive about being out on her own.
I go to our room and Brock is already in bed. Once I’ve gotten on my sleep attire, I climb under the covers and snuggle into him. We don’t make love, him respecting how weird I feel with Mom not far away. He said he’s good with just holding me, saying as long as I’m near he can get through a night or two.
“Mmmmm,” I moan as Brock’s lips travel down my body. I look over at the clock. Six in the morning. I stretch my arms up over my head, the sheet being pulled down my body, coolness sweeping over me. My nipples peak and it’s not only from the cool air but from his mouth too as it covers one while his magical fingers play with the other. I sh
ift my body around, feeling his morning wood pressing against me, trying to aim it where I need him the most.
“God, you feel so good,” he moans as his mouth moves to my stomach, leaving warm kisses in its wake. He doesn’t waste time and thrusts inside me, filling me completely. My legs spread wider then wrap around his slim waist, my feet pushing against his firm bottom. My fingers find his hair quickly, threading and tugging, spurring him on. We begin to get the rhythm that is ours when my head snaps to the door, hearing a noise outside. His mouth kisses my cheek. “Don’t pay attention, baby.” Not hearing anything else I latch onto his mouth with mine, our tongues beginning their dance. I feel the heat inside me starting to change from a low simmer rising to a boil, my stomach clenching. I can feel the pulsing of his cock as it hardens even more inside me and my muscles begin to tighten. My fingers leave his hair and grasp his strong shoulders as my fingernails dig into his skin.
“Ugh, Brock!” His mouth covers mine fast, muffling my scream, but he releases right after and our mouths pressed together helps to hide his loud moan as well. We both lay there, with sweat lightly covering our bodies, panting in our post-coital states as we hold onto each other.
My head shoots up over his shoulder when I hear another noise in the apartment. His lips kiss my neck up to my earlobe, and his warm breath makes me shiver as he whispers, “It’s just your mom, baby.” My mom! Oh, my God! She probably just heard us having sex. Shit! I push against his shoulders hard, and he laughs as he leans up. His cock pulls out, and I shiver for another reason. I jump out of bed, almost falling when the rug slides on the hardwood floor, my arms outstretched to balance me. “I’m sure she didn’t hear us.” I turn my head looking at him lying on his back on top of the covers. I can’t help but scan his gorgeous body. He looks like a hot movie star. I can’t believe he’s mine.
Shaking my head, I lower my eyebrows. “Shhhh.” He laughs again. He’s still laughing when I go into the bathroom, shutting the door. I take a quick shower, put on some light makeup, and do all things needed then get dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, pulling my hair up into a high ponytail.
A delicious aroma hits me right in my stomach as I walk into the living room. I see Brock sitting down at the table in jeans and shirtless. There goes my dry panties. Mom is sitting down beside him and when I walk over to sit down, I see a plate full of food in front of me. “Mom. This is great!” I look up to see a huge smile on her face, happy to see it since everything was so rough on her last night. “I didn’t know you knew how to cook.” I take a bite, closing my eyes from the taste, and when I open them her smile is gone, replaced with a frown. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mom. Of course you know how to cook.” I scrunch my face as I look at Brock, and he just shrugs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mom cook a day of my life.
She sighs and my eyes snap back to her as I continue to eat. “Taren. Just because we had Mimi doesn’t mean I didn’t know how to cook. It’s just…. Been awhile.” Mimi! I wonder if she stayed with Dad. Now I’m worried about her.
“Uh, sorry. I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you cook, much less eaten something you’ve cooked before. It’s really great.” Her smile is back. “Mom? Where is Mimi? Did she stay there?” I didn’t want to say “with Dad”. As far as I’m concerned I don’t have a dad. He said he didn’t have a daughter so that’s fair, right? My heart drops. I wish things could have been different. I know he wasn’t always this way. I remember when I was little, he was so loving. Then as soon as his business took off, I hardly saw him and when I did, he didn’t have time for me anymore.
“Oh….” I focus back on her trying to shake off my thoughts and feelings. “She’s going to be joining me. I wanted to find a place first. But she’s not really going to work for me, more of a roommate. She and I have become so close over the years. She’s always been more of a sister than an employee to me. She won’t even need to find a job right away. She’s been more than wise with the money she’s earned.” My smile is huge at this news.
“You know,” Brock interrupts. “I could ask Pop if he could use another hand in the kitchen at the bar. We’re always having to help out and it gets so crowded there they can’t keep up with the orders of food as it is. It wouldn’t pay much though.”
Mom listens intently then smiles, patting his arm. “Oh, I bet she would love to. Money wouldn’t need to be much with us living together and she loves to cook.”
I lean towards him and kiss his cheek. “That would be amazing! She has some great recipes that she created that are easy and out of this world. I bet they would be a big hit at the bar.” He smiles at me with such love in his eyes.
“I’ll talk to Pop tonight.” He looks at Mom. “When is she coming?”
Mom looks at him and then at me. “Well, we need to look at the apartment and if I get it, I will call her and she’ll move in. She’s just waiting on me.” Her eyes sadden, and my heart melts. “You’re Dad’s going to be lost with no one there with him.” She lowers her head, and my heart hurts for her. I look at Brock, who’s watching her, and see the sadness on his face as well.
“Well.” I smack the top of the table, making both of them look at me. “We have a lot to do today. Apartment looking, shopping.” Mom smiles but I know her heart isn’t in it. We end up finishing breakfast and I have a very hard time letting Brock leave for work, but I think he had just as hard of a time leaving too.
Mom and I cleaned up the kitchen and then walked over to the apartment. It’s actually a lot nicer than ours. The landlord said this building is newer. She happily took it and signed everything. Now, time for shopping! It took us all day and into the evening to purchase everything. I’ve now learned that Mom’s pretty persuasive. She got the stores to deliver all the furniture tonight, and even though I told her Irish and I could decorate, she hired an interior designer to come in the morning. The landlord told her the appliances were only a couple of years old, but she ordered all new ones to be delivered with everything else. I’m starting to wonder if the brains in the family really came from her and not Dad. She called and talked to Mimi while we were out, and she was there when we got back, suitcases in hand, several boxes in the back of her car.
Me: @Moms. Need help
Brock: OMW
Now, if we can just get her settled then Brock and I will have our place to ourselves again. I think we’re in need of a little shower time before we have to go to the bar tonight.
Brock
We were supposed to be at the bar a half an hour ago, but we got a little distracted. Okay, a lot distracted. Hey, we’re young, energetic and totally in love. Who can blame us? By the time we get there the place is so packed there’s a line out front. Strange. It’s really crowded most of the time, people loving the down home and family feel, but this is beyond the normal crowd. Taren is just as confused as I. Taking her hand and keeping her close to me, we walk in and head to the counter. Kane’s and my stools have a reserve sign on them, as usual, so I let Taren sit on mine as I stand beside her. Perk of having the stool at the end of the counter. I know at some point Kane will be here, he normally is.
Irish walks through the opening, carrying a large tray filled with drinks and food. “Hey, guys. You can take Kane’s chair. He’s out with some woman.” I look at her in confusion. “Probably some cheap floosy. Normal.” She rolls her eyes then walks behind me and out into the crowd. I look down at Taren, the same confusion on her face. No, it’s not weird for him to be out with a woman, but it is very odd he would go out this early. Usually, he’s here for several hours first then gets hit on or he hits on a woman. He’s pretty much a no commitment kind of guy. Maybe he’s adopted?
“You okay?” Taren asks in concern.
I run my fingers through my hair making it stick up all over. “Yeah. Just weird Kane’s out so early. Seems strange.” I put my arm around her and smile. “I’m sure it’s no big deal.” I know I’ll be talking to him later.
We watch tons of food being brought out, the wa
itresses taking trays full out to the masses. I look up as Craig slides us both a beer and yells over the noise, “Hey, what’s up with all the food?”
He leans his arms on the counter in front of us. We both have to move forward to hear. “Got a new cook! She’s freakin’ awesome! Pop decided to give out free samples tonight, kind of a taste test. As you can see people are going crazy. We’re getting all kinds of compliments.” He smacks the bar and walks away smiling.
Taren and I both look at each other. “Mimi,” we say in unison.
I look around and am amazed by all the people eating. Usually, most people come in to drink, play pool, or just hang out. We’ve always had pretty decent food for people to munch on but these people act like they’re starving. “Uh, Pop? What gives? I know it’s free and all but….”
Pop walks over and stands in between us, putting his hands on both of our shoulders. “Yeah, it may be free but the reviews are crazy great! Just think when it’s not free tomorrow.”
“But why free tonight?” I’m confused. Pop never gives anything away for free. Hell, he hates that Kane and I drink for free and we’re his sons.
“Mimi talked me into it. Seems she has a good sense for business.” We follow his eyes as he looks around. “People are eating it up. Pun intended. Tomorrow, they’ll buy it like it’s the last food on earth.” He smacks our shoulders and grins. “You should try some. Craig! Bring over a plate for my son and his girl.” His girl. “Well, I best get back there. I’ve been helping out. You both have a good night.”
